IN SHORT: It took 10 full innings, but the Cabot Class A American Legion team got a close win over Maumelle 4-3 Wednesday night at Conrade Field. The win improved Cabot’s record to 6-3 on the year.
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
In nearly twice the amount of time as a normal Class A American Legion matchup, Cabot Post 71 finally got the fourth and decisive run in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Maumelle Bulldogs to take a 4-3 win Wednesday night at the Brian Wade Conrade Memorial Baseball Field.
The teams traded the lead back and forth in the early going, but it was a controversial run from Maumelle in the top of the sixth inning that tied the game at 3-3, and tacked on an extra hour of play in the process.
“We’ve had two extra-inning games now, and we’ve won both of them,” Cabot coach Jay Darr said. “We’ve done well in those situations, and it’s a testament to the kids for not giving up. This team seems to get better the longer a game goes.”
Cabot entered the frame with a narrow 3-2 lead, but Maumelle quickly put two men on in the sixth with a walk from Cabot hurler Tyler Sorrells and an error at second base. Cabot force-walked the next batter to load the bases, a move which would pay off when the next batter blooped it to second base. Cabot second baseman Anthony Rye made a heads-up play, getting the throw to catcher Ken Harness for the out at the plate to deny the Bulldogs the tying score.
Sorrells then struck out the next batter, and had the following batter down 1-2 in the count when the third-base runner charged the plate.
Cabot trapped the runner between the bases, but a curious call allowed the run in.
Third baseman Ben Wainwright threw to Sorrells, who was standing right against the baseline for the tag, but his extended arm was dodged by the runner to cross the plate for the score.
A brief protest by the Cabot bench for the runner leaving the baseline was dismissed, and play resumed with a 3-3 score.
“It looked like he may have stepped on the grass, but the important thing is that it didn’t rattle our guys,” Darr said. “As a coach, you really can’t do anything about calls like that; you just hope your team recovers from them. It was good to see them keep their composure, and we finally got the run we needed to get the win.”
The score would remain tied at three for the next four innings, as the contest suddenly became somewhat of a pitchers’ duel.
Both teams had made pitching changes early on, but Sorrells and Maumelle’s second hurler went from the fourth inning on for their respective teams. Sorrells gave notice in the top of the eighth that the extra-innings session might be a long one, as he sent the Maumelle lineup packing with three strikeouts.
Cabot did manage to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, but a strikeout on Shane Bittner kept Maumelle in the game once again.
After hitting the Maumelle leadoff batter with a pitch, Sorrells continued the strikeout frenzy on the mound in the top of the ninth inning, sending away the next two batters swinging.
The next batter got a close infield hit, but another heads-up play by catcher Harness got the leadoff out at the plate to keep Cabot alive.
It was Cabot who would miss another opportunity in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sorrells started things off with a single to centerfield, but a pop up to center by Wainwright prevented him from advancing.
Sorrells made his way to third, but good play behind the plate would prevent yet another score, as Sorrells was tagged out trying to come in for the score for the third out.
Anthony Rye finally put an end to the game as it entered its third hour in the bottom of the 10th. Rye singled after lead off Chase Beasley was stuck out, and advanced on a bunt single by Harness.
Another strikeout on Nick Ackett gave Cabot two outs, but C. J. Jacoby finally drove in the winning run with a shot down the third base line into left field for the RBI.
Cabot got its first run in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single from Michael Cochran that scored Beasley.
The catcher caught Cochran snoozing while leading off at first, however, and got the throw to the bag for the final out of the inning.
Cabot took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third inning with a score from Jacoby off a hit to left by Wainwright. Maumelle answered in the top of the fourth to tie, but Jacoby’s second score in the bottom of the fifth put Post 71 in the lead once more.
Cabot is now 6-3 on the season. The next game for Post 71 will be at Greenbrier on Monday.
